The most powerful car I own is also the most economical. I am living the perfect petrolhead paradox.
BHPian n:corE recently shared this with other enthusiasts.
4,000 km / 2 months ownership update
I picked up the car with around 70k km clocked on the odometer on 18th Feb 2024.
Currently, I am averaging a very healthy 2000 km per month. The car has made several out-station trips: once to Igatpuri and back and a Mumbai-Panchgani-Mahableshwar-Mumbai journey. The vehicle performed exceptionally on all fronts. Ride quality at speed is sublime. Overtakes don’t even require downshifts; oodles of torque are available everywhere above 1.75k rpm—so much so that I constantly have to reel her in. Our roads are not meant for the speeds this thing achieves.
Here is a cold start video I got on my weekend getaway to our home in Panchgani.
I have now adopted a very sedate driving style, keeping in mind the car’s ability (and mine). I made a lovely little mod using the Carly OBD2 Bluetooth adapter. The car now starts up in EcoPro mode but with a twist. I’ve set the Start-Stop system to stay off on start-up. When you select Eco Pro, the start-stop system is enabled by default. However, I find it too intrusive, especially when driving in bumper-to-bumper traffic; it can get annoying. All I have to do is toggle through Comfort and back to EcoPro, and start-stop is enabled. Despite having it off by default, the car has consistently given 10.5-11 kmpl.
I am hardly ever left wanting more on my daily commute in EcoPro. The 6WB cluster is pretty to look at with the blue dials. The way they have gamified them, you feel rewarded when driving economically as the blue bars start stacking up.
The most powerful car I own is also the most economical. I am living the perfect petrolhead paradox
BMW’s condition-based service reminder goes off every morning before I set off these days. My service is due in 490 km. The iDrive system also delves deeper to give you more service information.
The above image shows that my car needs new brake fluid and oil. The pads are okay for now.
BMWs understand their customers so well. A typical BMW owner would likely want to know what’s happening with their car. BMW has made cars that talk to their owners using sensors and a good UI (iDrive). It does feel dated, but the information delivered is what matters.
We must listen and bring her in when she asks to stay on top of scheduled maintenance. That is all these German machines need to remain reliable. Akshay seconds this opinion and has confirmed it throughout his entire ownership. Nothing has been unusual, just consumables and wear/tear parts despite being modified.
The one that got away:
In the thread, I mentioned how I initially set out to buy a 2014 Porsche Macan S diesel. I had been eyeing one on sale in Gujarat for quite a while. The dealer seemed shady, and the car had been on sale for over 10 months. Finally, when I managed to get ahold of the guy and the car, my friend went over to check it out. The reading on the odometer was 92k km, almost double what was shown in the ad on OLX (56k km). It looked okay on the outside; the bodywork was straight, and there were a few scratches here and there.
After speaking to the dealer on the phone, he straight up went like, don’t bother with the odometer reading; it may have been tampered with also. I can only guarantee that this is a non-accidental car that runs and drives perfectly and has recently had a service; you can have your mechanic review it. Regarding price, both options (X3 v Macan) were working out to be the same.
I was lusting after the Macan. Well, it’s a Porsche, after all. The S diesel is also a scarce car. When launched, it was priced so astronomically that the bigger Cayenne diesel was the obvious choice for most.
But then it dawned upon me that it is indeed a “Porsche.” Replacement parts will cost a pretty penny. The history of this car was shady, to say the least. The first owner probably let her go when posting the first ad (56k km), after which this car has changed hands and been driven by whom and how no one knows. It was a gamble I wasn’t willing to take.
The Macan is tiny inside; you sit rather snugly, and they have lowered the H-point, where your hips go in the seat, for a more sporty and dynamic feel. I much prefer the seating position in my X3. It’s more comfortable on the daily; ingress and egress are mindless, comfortable exercises (as they should be). Also, if I bought that, I would have had to go to town on my dollar on that 3.0 TDI (and other supporting mods).
Besides, the N57N is the gold-standard engine for tuning potential for its class. It’s no wonder that Bhavneesh from TDH decided to sell off his ex-BHP-ian-owned unicorn, the A4 3.0 TDI, as from a competition standpoint, a tuned N57N (with xDrive) will run rings (pun very much intended) around the 3.0 TDI quattro. If I am not mistaken, the car is still on sale.
I am very grateful that I ended up with a well-maintained car with high-quality bolt-ons that were tinkered on by an experienced tuner who also happens to be a decorated member of our BHP-ian community. Eventually, it was a no-brainer. I could not have been happier having chosen this X3 over that Macan.
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